The Power of Gods Word

-A Story of Martin Luther-

-For Reformation Sunday Evening-

Preached first October 31, 1993

For: October 31, 1999

Falmouth Church of the Nazarene

Let me tell you a story this evening about a man who became a legend in his own time. This man, I sincerely believe, spent his life earnestly seeking after God, but he made at least as many enemies as he made friends. Five hundred and sixteen years after his birth (Nov 10, 1483) he is still a controversial figure in history.

The man's name, of course, is Martin, Martin Luther. He was the son of a peasant, Hans Luder, a working copper miner who was himself shrewd and ambitious and became an owner of mines. In a way it was a miracle that Martin should have gotten higher education, for few in his social level were recognized as worthy. But Martin was gifted, both scholastically and musically. He was permitted to attend the University of Erfurt, in Saxony, where he received his Bachelors of Arts in September 1502, and Master of Arts in January 1505. He began studies for law in May of that same year, 1505.      

Like many young people Martin thought seriously about life and God and salvation. He was a seeker after truth and after God. In July of 1505, the year in which he began his law studies, Martin was caught in a thunderstorm, and a bolt of lightning struck so close to where he was that he was frightened half to death. He was certain that God Himself had spoken. In that moment Martin Luther said to God, "I will become a monk!" [cf. Acts 9/St. Paul] He was "shocked" into the most extreme action he knew how to take.

The Luders were devout Catholics, but they did not want their child to be too religious. A monk takes vows of poverty, and there would be no way Martin could support them in their old age. And so it came as a shock to Hans Luder as well when Martin announced that he was entering religious orders. But enter he did, and he was ordained in 1507 and celebrated his first Mass just two years later.

So Martin Luther not only became a monk, but a priest, and an outstanding scholar. Highly respected, Martin was promoted to Doctor of Theology in October of 1512, and was appointed the cathedral lecturer there at Wittenberg.

About this time two things happened that sparked a great change in Martin Luther, and ultimately in the way many of us have come to understand God's plan for our salvation.

FIRST, in these early years as a scholar and lecturer Martin Luther was wrestling with the word of God as revealed in Holy Scripture— wrestling with it directly.

Often as he studied Martin actually lived in torment because his faith only brought him into conflict with a God that demanded righteousness but never satisfied those who sought after it. So along with his studies came a growing sense of his own inability to measure up to what he could see of God's demands that God's people be holy and righteous.

In 1513, the year after receiving his Doctorate and becoming lecturer, Martin began lecturing on the Psalms. When he arrived at Psalm 72, even as he was lecturing to the students he got a new grasp about "the righteousness of God." He began to see it as a quality which God was willing to give to believers, and which would make them acceptable in his Presence.

He was struggling to HEAR WHAT GOD'S WORD REALLY WAS SAYING to him. In 1515 he began lecturing on Romans, and soon his "LISTENING" centered Paul's statement that the righteous live by faith. Martin had always thought this said, "If you are RIGHTEOUS, then you will have the true faith." He knew that God was righteous, and that he, Martin Luther, was not.

     But as Martin listened to the word of God with the ears of his soul he heard, he understood, finally, what we now take so much for granted, and what we need to hear again and again:

It is by God's gift of grace to us, by FAITH, that we are enabled to take hold of Christ's righteousness— and the righteous LIVE BY THIS FAITH.

Luther declared that we could not even understand that we are sinners apart from the gospel. He wrote:

"We must know that we are sinners by faith alone, for it is not manifest to us; rather we are more often not conscious of the fact.. Thus we must stand under the judgment of God and believe His words with which he has declared us unjust, for he himself cannot lie."

Luther discovered that he had had it all backwards: WE DO NOT ACHIEVE FAITH BY BEING RIGHTEOUS, BUT WE RECEIVE CHRIST'S

RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH!     This kernel of truth— this powerful portion of God's Word— was HEARD by Luther. He processed it— what could it mean? He RECEIVED IT AS GOD'S WORD. And Martin BELIEVED it! THE WORD OF GOD WENT TO WORK IN MARTIN LUTHER!

The SECOND THING that sparked change was: The mother church at Rome needed money, and was sending out special missions to collect it by the selling of indulgences. In Saxony, where Luther was, this conflict centered around an itinerant money collector named Johann Tetzel, who had the franchise on indulgences for that part of Germany.

Historian Walther Köhler has quoted Tetzel's sermon: "Do you not hear the voices of your dead relatives and others, crying out to you and saying, 'Pit us, pty us, for we are in dire punishment and torment from which you can release us for a pittance'?" And then the last exhortation in the form of a couplet:

"When the coin in the coffer rings,

the soul from purgatory heavenward springs!"

Luther may not have been opposed at that time on the idea of purgatory, or even perhaps on praying for the dead; but he knew and understood that the motivation behind Tetzel's money-raising was not the salvation of souls at all. So he vehemently opposed the selling of indulgences, and he pretty well ruined Tetzel's business in his territory.

For it was on October 31, 1517, exactly 482 years ago this very day, Martin Luther nailed 95 Theses– 95 statements for debate on why the sale of indulgences were evil- on the Cathedral door in Wittenberg, Germany. He wrote these propositions for debate in Latin— the language of the church, and they began great debate, you may be certain. But the 95 theses were also translated into the common German, and printed, and spread far and wide. THAT is how Tetzel's business was ruined in that part of Saxony.

A whirlwind of things happened in the months and years following this revolt. The presenting problem had been sale of indulgence, but the underlying problem was where final authority for the church would rest. There were many communications and interviews, including a citation from Pope Leo X for Luther to come to Rome, which Elector Frederick of Saxony refused. Finally a Papal Bull in June of 1520 gave Luther 60 days to submit, and early in 1521 Luther was invited, under safe conduct, to the high court, or Diet of the Church at Worms, where he finally appeared in April, 1521.

Luther had hoped to engage in debate, but when he was admitted to the Diet on April 17, at about 4:00 p.m., before the Emperor Charles V and all the representatives of Rome the chancellor of the archbishop of Trier gave him no opportunity. Instead he gestured to a table in the middle of the impressive assembly, which was piled high with books. He told Martin Luther he had been called to the Diet of Worms to answer two questions: Had he written those books? Was there a part of them he would now choose to recant?

The monk and professor from little Wittenberg was given a chance to recant— not to debate. The judges had already made their decision. He spoke in a voice that could scarcely be heard: "The books are all mine— I have written more." But then, as he considered the second question: "This touches God and his Word. This affects the salvation of souls. I beg you, give me time." And so he was given one day. Back in his quarters Luther wrote, "So long as Christ is merciful, I will not recant a single jot or tittle."

Luther was not admitted to the Diet the next day until nightfall, and he stood in the candle-lighted episcopal hall next to the great cathedral. After realizing again that there was no room for debate, Luther made this statement:

"Unless I can be instructed and convinced with evidence from the Holy Scriptures or with open, clear, and distinct grounds and reasoning— and my conscience is captive to the Word of God— then I cannot and will not recant, because it is neither safe nor wise to act against conscience."

And then he added the famous words: "Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me! Amen" And with those words Luther became an outlaw.

Even though he had been guaranteed safe passage his life was immediately in danger. [He made his way to the Castle Wartburg, where he allowed his hair to grow out, and he became "a knight" for the next few years. But much of Germany was responding to this concept of salvation by faith.]

Let it be said that it is clear from all records that Martin Luther loved his church, and never intended that he start a different movement of the church. He appealed to the Pope himself to stop the excess. But there were many factors that entered the picture, too many to put in one sermon. The political scene in Northern Europe, the threat and even invasion of the Turks up the Danube against Christendom— soon the lines were drawn, and the division became beyond repair.

But the entire Christian world was changed by this man who listened— who believed— who let the word work in him. We who call ourselves Wesleyan owe a great deal to Luther, for in May, 1738, while he was at a prayer meeting, John Wesley heard one reading Luther's Preface to the Book of Romans— and Wesley knew in a new way that he was saved— by faith— that his sins were forgiven through grace!

THIS ENTIRE REFORMATION MOVEMENT WAS SPARKED BY ONE THEME, ONE PHRASE, AS IT WERE, FROM THE WORD OF GOD.

LOOK AGAIN AT THE LESSON (in your worship folder) THAT IS OUR TEXT FOR THE MORNING: Paul says

1. I labored to give you the gospel of God; and
2. I am thankful when you heard it you received it and believed it, and
3. it is at work in YOU now!

Two thoughts:

1. HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WE SHARE THE WORD OF GOD; (SHARE THE WORD AND NOT OUR IDEAS!) The ancient prophet Micah complained that false prophets were saying whatever got them the highest salary.
2. HOW POWERFUL GOD'S WORD IS WHEN IT IS HEARD AND TRUSTED.

Just what IS the "word of God?" It is revelation; it is given to us in the Bible, by the Spirit, by the foolishness of preaching, by God's great grace.

The word of God is that which we know to be God's will communicated to us with convicting power; the word of God is the transforming message of God's love in Christ. The Bible is all that. It is the word of God.

THE WORD OF GOD IS DYNAMIC: (1) The word of God needs to be communicated. Spoken. Proclaimed faithfully. Preaching is God's appointed means, method. (2)      The word of needs to be received, heard, believed. The word of God is "not" the word of God for you, for me unless and until it is received!!

The word of God is powerful. The same word that called worlds into being is the power that calls LIFE into being within the person/church that hears, receives, and believes. The listening ear of the soul is the receiving organ of God's mighty holy power.

What happens when we hear the word of God? When we really listen to what God is saying?

- we can never stay the same. We either walk forward in the power of the word that transforms us— that is "at work in you who believe"— OR we fall forever behind what God wills for us to be.

To listen, to hear, is to be a part of God's Plan of salvation. Every true messenger of God has been energized, empowered, compelled by the WORD OF GOD. When evil attacks us, our families, our world— our first reaction is to march out with all our might against it. And if we do we are doomed to failure. But if, instead, we listen to what God is saying about the evil, the word of God at work in us will involve us effectively. The whole thing will be wrought of the Spirit.

461 Open My Eyes That I May See

Lesson:

Surely you remember, brothers(and sisters), our toil and hardship; we worked hard day and night in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.

You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting, and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of (mere humans), but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.

I Thessalonians 2: 9-12